Rafael Nadal was more explosive at 20, but now he is smarter - Coach
In an interview to LCI, Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya commented on the importance of victories for the 17-time Grand Slam winner. "Winning matches allows you to 100 percent fullfil your potential, simple as that. Now Rafa is different. At 20 years of age he was more explosive, but now he is smarter. This is brought by the experience. We maybe less stronger physically, but we are mentally stronger. If you are smart, you will understand the game better than how you would do in the beginning", said Moya.
On Nadal taking more risks and hitting more winners, the 42-year-old added: "I already noted in 2016 that he was more aggressive. Following Rafa on a daily basis confirmed me it. He is more aggressive when he stands far away from the baseline. Before, there was intensity on his game but decisive shots to win the rallies were not there. Now when he hits at full power, often the ball does not get back. This game works now. It took a lot of time to do it but he is doing it very well. The team surrounding him helps him a lot. He became a much better player. We worked hard in the training sessions. We spent hours hitting a forehand, being careful on the footwork, the transition going forward. But he needs to agree with doing it and then he has to do it in a match and winning matches to become confident. Now there are not a lot of clay-court specialists on the tour. So we have to adapt to it, win points over 2-3 shots. That's what we are working on."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2UOUJAA
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